One of the worst things about blogging or writing on sites like HubPages, which allows you to create your own topics (in my opinion), is coming up with new ideas for blog posts. The other thing is that generally speaking, you want to stay in your own individual “niche” and you want to make sure that you’re targeting the keywords that people are looking for. Additionally, let’s face it, speed matters and the “closer” you stick to a single topic, the more you can write in a single day. This isn’t rocket science, it’s simply a fact. So the question is how do you figure out what people are trying to find in your particular niche on the Internet without spending hours a day researching. Well, Google has addressed that problem with their handy AdWords feature. Let’s take a look at how AdWords works and what you can do with it.
Search for a phrase – One of the first things you can do is search for a phrase. For example, when I think about what this blog is about, the main topic is freelance writing online. So if I plug this phrase into AdWords and then fill in the Captcha code here’s what I discover:
The phrase “freelance writing online” is a “high” competition keyword that is searched on average 6,600 times per month.
- There are some “keywords” associated with this phrase that are all “low” competition and some of them are searched far more frequently. For example, “career opportunities for” is searched for 7,480,000 globally per month and has “low competition” and “writers” is searched for 5,000,000 times globally per month, also with low competition.
- Keywords with “medium” competition include to earn money, where to earn money and how to freelance – there are others of course but these are the “highest” search numbers with medium competition.
- Keywords with “high” competition include what are online jobs, about online jobs and job online to name a few.
How to use this information
So how do you maximize this information for the best possible use? Well, that’s where it gets tricky! First, there is probably NOT a lot of sense in targeting “high” competition keywords since it is pretty likely that many of these will be for sites that are already well established. The challenge is to find the right mix of “medium and low” competition and begin working your posts and articles around these keywords.
Create a plan of attack – you can’t simply write one article or blog post and hope to suddenly start ranking for it!
Create a spreadsheet with the keywords that you want to target. Place the primary keywords into your first row by column (for example A1=career opportunities for, B1=writers, C1=earn money, etc.
Under each category begin listing potential titles. For example if you want to target “career opportunities for” you can do this:
Career opportunities for freelance writers
Finding career opportunities for freelance writers
Possible career opportunities for freelance writers
While this may seem a bit simplistic, the more titles you can come up with that allows you to “stick” with the keyword, the better!
Writing your article or post
- Make sure that you use your keywords correctly. Always use the primary keyword in the first one hundred words and the last fifty words of your article or post.
- Make your work relevant, don’t just write for the sake of writing.
- Link to reputable sites, there are many great blogs and websites that offer hints and tips for freelance writing.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment
Fortunately this tool is free and easy to use. Using AdWords to help you find alternative ways to attract writers to your blog can be very beneficial. Make sure you adhere to the general requirements of high-quality content, using keywords appropriately and promoting your writing.
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About Doreen Martel
Well-rounded freelance writer who contributes to various blogs, paid to write sites and revenue sharing sites. Doreen is legally blind and has worked at home for more than 10 years. She uses the lessons learned from this experience to enhance her writing and share information with others.
